To lead a poor, laborious life, and suffer a painful, ignominious death; To teach us how to live, and how to die, and thus secure an eternal happiness. Glory be to the Father, &c. Ant. The mercy of the Lord is from eternity unto eternity upon them that fear him. Ant. Sing to the Lord a new canticle, because he hath done wonderful things. Psalm XXXVI. WHAT praise and thanksgiving are not due to the Lord for all his mercies. When we lay buried, alas! in the abyss of nothing, his own free goodness first called us into existence. He watched over us at our birth, and led us safely through the perilous age of infancy; Committing us to the guardianship of his angels, lest any evil should befall us. How many dangers have we happily escaped, by the interposition of his merciful providence! How many blessings do we daily receive, and all flowing from his bountiful protection! In our youth he afforded us instruction in science and virtue; He has appointed pastors to nourish our souls with the word of life; and conduct them safely in the ways of bliss; He has founded his church upon an immoveable rock, to render our faith firm and unshaken; He has supplied us with the sacraments, which are perpetual sources of grace and spiritual life. All this thou hast done, O merciful Lord! the wise disposer of heaven and earth; All this thou hast done, and thou still continuest in innumerable ways to draw us to thy service. Thou commandest us to ask, and promisest to grant: thou invitest us to seek, and assurest us of success in finding what we look for. Thou vouchsafest even thyself to stand at the door and knock, and if we open, thou enterest and fittest our hearts with joy. If we forget thee, thou remindest us of our duty; if we wander from thee, thou goest in search of us like a good shepherd; If we defer our amendment, thou patiently waitest for us, and when we return, thou openest thy arms to embrace us. O my God! from all eternity thou hast cast thy gracious eye upon us, and destined us to be the objects of thy special care. We know thy ways are unsearchable, and no one can sound the depth of thy counsels: Yet may we safely conclude, that if thou lovest us when we did not exist, thou wilt not forsake us, now that we strive to love thee. If thou soughtest us when we had lost our way, thou wilt not refuse to direct us, when we desire to follow thee. Accomplish, O Lord! thy holy purposes, and finish in thy servants the work which thy mercy has commenced. Glory be to the Father, &c. Ant. Sing to the Lord a new canticle, because he hath done wonderful things. CHAPTER.-Rom. 5. GOD commendeth his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, accord ing to the time, Christ died for us: much more therefore, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from wrath through him. Hymn. SING, my soul! his wondrous love, Heav'n and earth by him were made, Shall we hope in earthly things, All that should to us be dear. Sing my tongue! his holy name, May all creatures bless thee, Lord! For they owe all to thy care, What they have, and what they are. Amen. V. I will praise thee, O Lord! among the people. R. For thy mercy is great above the heavens. Antiphon at the MAGNIFICAT.73 BETTER is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked; for the arms of the wicked shall be broken into pieces, but the Lord strengtheneth the just. V. O Lord! hear my prayer, Let us pray. O God! who even in thy anger rememberest mercy, and threatenest the sinner, only to convert him to the ways of justice and peace; look down, we beseech thee, upon our weakness; and grant that a due sense of the blessings we continually receive at thy hands, may defend us from the violation of thy law, |